WHEN Should You Book a Trip to the 2021 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival?

So you’re planning a trip to the 2021 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival!

EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival

We’ve been giving you lots of updates on what food booths will be available, how you should budget your eats, and what entertainment will be offered. But one of your biggest concerns may be about WHEN you should visit. And today, we’re breaking that all down for ya!

If You Want Low Crowds

If you’re looking for lower crowds throughout your Festival experience, you’ll want to avoid weekends and evenings. These are popular times for locals to visit! By booking for weekdays or arriving in the morning, you’re more likely to avoid long waits at the booths and that awkward looking-around-for-an-empty-table situation.

EPCOT Festival Crowds

You’ll also want to avoid the Festival’s opening day. People get EXCITED for Food and Wine, and there are bound to be big crowds on July 15th! Similarly, you should stay away from any holidays, like Columbus Day (October 11th).

Check Out the Most Crowded Park Days in 2021!

If You Want to Try a Lot of Food

Disney has confirmed 32 booths so far for the 2021 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival. That’s a LOT of options! Of those 32, 8 are brand-new and 9 will not open until October 1st.

We’re here for ALL the eats!

Now, the park is likely going to be crowded for the first few days of October due to Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebrations (and the grand opening of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure!). So if you want to take advantage of ALL 32 options, book in mid-to-late October. You’ll avoid the biggest of the 50th anniversary crowds while getting to sample eats from Brazil, India, Kenya, and more.

Check Out the Booths That Are Arriving on October 1st!

If You Want to Avoid the Heat

Disney World is located in Florida, and as you can expect, it gets HOT in the summer. If you don’t want to be sweating buckets while you browse the booths, don’t book a visit in July or August.

EPCOT gets HOT in the summer!

Instead, save your vacation until September, October, or even November and enjoy that cooler weather. The festival kicks off July 15th and you’ve got until November 20th, which is the last day of the Festival! Just remember: you may not want to book in those first few days of October when the anniversary celebrations are kicking off.

Check Out Our Month-by-Month Guide to Visiting Disney World!

If you’re looking for more help planning your trip to the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival — including food reviews, tried-and-true tips, and more — check out our DFB Guide to the 2021 Epcot Food & Wine Festival. It’s a 250+ page guide to the festival that will give you insider tips and advice, as well as ways to save on your visit.

This guide is currently available for pre-order, and you can save 20% off the cover price by using the code CHEFS at checkout.

This book can really help you out with your festival planning.

Click Here to Pre-Order the DFB Guide to the 2021 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival!

If you’re visiting the Food and Wine Festival this year, have lots of fun! And stay tuned to DFB — we’ll keep bringing you MORE festival updates, tips, and more.

Check Out ALL the Confirmed Booths at the 2021 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival!

IT'S WINE & DINE TIME!

Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience.

If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU!